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Born in a barn in 1909, Leo Fender seems an unlikely father of rock ’n’ roll. But as the man whose company perfected the solid-body electric guitar, his contribution to contemporary music cannot be overstated. Just take a look at the albums whose musicians thought enough of their Fender guitar to put it on the cover: Eric Clapton’s "Layla," Bruce Springsteen’s "Born To Run," Jeff Beck’s "Wired," The Pretenders’s (Chrissie Hynde) "Get Close," Bonnie Raitt’s "Nick of Time." The list of influential artists who play a Fender is just about endless.
Fender’s first solid-body electric guitar was introduced in 1950. It debuted as the one-pickup Esquire before the name of the two-pickup model was changed to Broadcaster. But Gretsch was already using the name Broadkaster on some of its instruments, so the name was changed again.
Between names, the company made the most of its remaining Fender Broadcaster decals by cutting off the word Broadcaster so that only the Fender brand made it onto the guitar’s he...
The Stratocaster came next in 1954. Unlike the Telecaster, whose ash body was outlined with rib-digging 45-degree edges, the Strat had a sculpted body that fit players like a glove. Three pickups gave the instrument unprecedented tonal range, as did a vibrato bar that would bend the guitar’s strings when pressed. And instead of the Telecaster’s blond, natural-wood finish, the Strat was offered in a number of colors, including the iconic sunburst (golden-yellow in the middle fading to black on the outside).
Solid-body electric bass guitars were also a Fender innovation. The Precision bass was introduced in 1951. It had a headstock that was virtually identical to that of the Telecaster and a body that turned out to be a preview of the 1954 Strat. By 1957, the Precision’s headstock had been redesigned to mirror the Stratocaster’s, and that version of the bass remains largely unchanged today. The Jazz Bass was added to the low-octave lineup in 1960, and a six-string bass was offered in 1961.
Fender launched two other major guitar lines in the 1950s. The first of these was a pair of low-cost models, the Duo-Sonic and the Musicmaster, both of which were introduced in 1956. These guitars were for kids who wanted to learn how to play without having to shell out the big bucks for a Stratocaster ($274.50 for a Strat versus $119.50 for a Musicmaster). The other initiative was a high-end guitar called the Jazzmaster, which retailed at the time for $329.50. It had a rosewood fingerboard on the standard maple neck, and switches that let the guitarist bounce between rhythm and lead sounds.
In 1962, Fender introduced the Jaguar, which combined a Jazzmaster body with a Stratocaster head. The Mustang, an update of the Duo-Sonic, was added in 1964. Years later, Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain would work with Fender to create a left-handed hybrid of both called the Jag-Stang.
But the 1960s are best known as the decade when Jimi Hendrix did things to his Stratocaster that nobody had thought possible, from setting it on fire to playing wailing, psychedelic versions of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Alas for Fender, it was also the decade that the company was sold to CBS—for Fender purists, the years 1965 to 1985 are like a 20-year musical drought.
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Recent News: Fender Guitars
Source: Google News
All that jazz
Austin American-Statesman, May 21stThe evening's highlights included the auction of a Fender guitar signed by Johnson with a 1960s-era vintage strap included, donated by Fender Musical Instruments. The winner, for the second year in a row, was Dr. Teresa Kinsfather of Giddings, who bid...Read more
CD: Jamie Cullum - Momentum
The Arts Desk, May 18thNewly signed to Island Records, the singer-songwriter has seemingly raided ideas from the entire history of pop music, such that low-fi vintage synth lines and jazzy piano breaks rub shoulders with heart-on-sleeve soul belters and subtle electronica...Read more
Eric Johnson Tests Out The American Vintage '59 Strat
Sonic State, May 10thWith key features and pivotal design elements spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, new American Vintage series instruments delve deep into Fender's roots--expertly preserving an innovative U.S. guitar-making legacy and vividly demonstrating like...Read more
Revered Rock Riff Turns 40; Fender Custom Shop Recreates Guitar to ...
Wall Street Journal (press release), May 7thOther distinctive features include three-way pickup switching, Schaller(R) tuners, Micarta nut, four-bolt neck plate stamped with the serial number and the stylized Fender "F," and a vintage-style synchronized tremolo equipped with Blackmore's...Read more
Fender Custom Shop Announces New Instruments
Sonic State, May 3rdThe Fender Custom Shop says that their new spring instrument selection presents some of its most sophisticated and meticulously crafted product offerings to date, including four guitars and one bass. Here's the details direct from Fender... The new...Read more
New Fenders For Spring
Sonic State, May 3rdWith its semi-hollow ash body with f hole and dual Fideli'Tron™ humbucking pickups, it's a truly distinctive and powerful take on Fender's first electric guitar. with urethane finish, 9.5"-radius maple fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and...Read more
Reward for stolen vintage guitar? $1000 and another guitar
KATU, May 2ndSo he's offering a $1,000 reward to get the man's 1957 guitar back - no questions asked. And he'll also hand over another Fender Telecaster (not a vintage one but one that plays nonetheless) as part of the deal. Barnett said he's offering the reward...Read more
Vintage Fender guitar stolen: 'We'll give a reward if that's what you want'
KATU, May 1stTo all the people saying 'way to let the thieves know how much it's worth' don't understand the used/vintage instrument world that well. Nobody worth their salt would purchase a stolen instrument. It's good for the e-bay world and for high end vintage...Read more